Development and application of novel high‐efficiency composite ultrafine cement grouts for roadway in fractured surrounding rocks

The fractured surrounding rocks of roadways pose major challenges to safe mining.Grouting has often been used to reinforce the surrounding rocks to mitigate the safety risks associated with fractured rocks.The aim of this study is to develop highly efficient composite ultrafine cement(CUC)grouts to reinforce the roadway in fractured surrounding rocks.The materials used are ultrafine cement(UC),ultrafine fly ash(UF),ultrafine slag(US),and additives(superplasticizer[SUP],aluminate ultrafine expansion agent[AUA],gypsum,and retarder).The fluidity,bleeding,shrinkage,setting time,chemical composition,microstructure,degree of hydration,and mechanical property of grouting materials were evaluated in this study.Also,a suitable and effective CUC grout mixture was used to reinforce the roadway in the fractured surrounding rock.The results have shown that the addition of UF and US reduces the plastic viscosity of CUC,and the best fluidity can be obtained by adding 40%UF and 10%US.Since UC and UF particles are small,the pozzolanic effect of UF promotes the hydration reaction,which is conductive to the stability of CUC grouts.In addition,fine particles of UC,UF,and US can effectively fill the pores,while the volumetric expansion of AUA and gypsum decreases the pores and thus affects the microstructure of the solidified grout.The compressive test results have shown that the addition of specific amounts of UF and US can ameliorate the mechanical properties of CUC grouts.Finally,the CUC22‐8 grout was used to reinforce the No.20322 belt roadway.The results of numerical simulation and field monitoring have indicated that grouting can efficaciously reinforce the surrounding rock of the roadway.In this research,high‐performance CUC grouts were developed for surrounding rock reinforcement of underground engineering by utilizing UC and some additives.

Assessing the range of blasting-induced cracks in the surrounding rock of deeply buried tunnels based on the unified strength theory

Blasting-induced cracks in the rock surrounding deeply buried tunnels can result in water gushing and rock mass collapse,posing significant safety risks.However,previous theoretical studies on the range of blasting-induced cracks often ignore the impact of the in-situ stress,especially that of the intermediate principal stress.The particle displacement−crack radius relationship was established in this paper by utilizing the blasthole cavity expansion equation,and theoretical analytical formulas of the stress−displacement relationship and the crack radius were derived with unified strength theory to accurately assess the range of cracks in deep surrounding rock under a blasting load.Parameter analysis showed that the crushing zone size was positively correlated with in-situ stress,intermediate principal stress,and detonation pressure,whereas negatively correlated with Poisson ratio and decoupling coefficient.The dilatancy angle-crushing zone size relationship exhibited nonmonotonic behavior.The relationships in the crushing zone and the fracture zone exhibited opposite trends under the influence of only in-situ stress or intermediate principal stress.As the in-situ stress increased from 0 to 70 MPa,the rate of change in the crack range and the attenuation rate of the peak vibration velocity gradually slowed.

Sub-Homogeneous Peridynamic Model for Fracture and Failure Analysis of Roadway Surrounding Rock

The surrounding rock of roadways exhibits intricate characteristics of discontinuity and heterogeneity.To address these complexities,this study employs non-local Peridynamics(PD)theory and reconstructs the kernel function to represent accurately the spatial decline of long-range force.Additionally,modifications to the traditional bondbased PD model are made.By considering the micro-structure of coal-rock materials within a uniform discrete model,heterogeneity characterized by bond random pre-breaking is introduced.This approach facilitates the proposal of a novel model capable of handling the random distribution characteristics of material heterogeneity,rendering the PD model suitable for analyzing the deformation and failure of heterogeneous layered coal-rock mass structures.The established numerical model and simulation method,termed the sub-homogeneous PD model,not only incorporates the support effect but also captures accurately the random heterogeneous micro-structure of roadway surrounding rock.The simulation results obtained using this model show good agreement with field measurements from the Fucun coal mine,effectively validating the model’s capability in accurately reproducing the deformation and failure mode of surrounding rock under bolt-supported(anchor cable).The proposed subhomogeneous PD model presents a valuable and effective simulation tool for studying the deformation and failure of roadway surrounding rock in coal mines,offering new insights and potential advancements.

Heterogeneous information phase space reconstruction and stability prediction of filling body–surrounding rock combination

Traditional research believes that the filling body can effectively control stress concentration while ignoring the problems of unknown stability and the complex and changeable stress distribution of the filling body–surrounding rock combination under high-stress conditions.Current monitoring data processing methods cannot fully consider the complexity of monitoring objects,the diversity of monitoring methods,and the dynamics of monitoring data.To solve this problem,this paper proposes a phase space reconstruction and stability prediction method to process heterogeneous information of backfill–surrounding rock combinations.The three-dimensional monitoring system of a large-area filling body–surrounding rock combination in Longshou Mine was constructed by using drilling stress,multipoint displacement meter,and inclinometer.Varied information,such as the stress and displacement of the filling body–surrounding rock combination,was continuously obtained.Combined with the average mutual information method and the false nearest neighbor point method,the phase space of the heterogeneous information of the filling body–surrounding rock combination was then constructed.In this paper,the distance between the phase point and its nearest point was used as the index evaluation distance to evaluate the stability of the filling body–surrounding rock combination.The evaluated distances(ED)revealed a high sensitivity to the stability of the filling body–surrounding rock combination.The new method was then applied to calculate the time series of historically ED for 12 measuring points located at Longshou Mine.The moments of mutation in these time series were at least 3 months ahead of the roadway return dates.In the ED prediction experiments,the autoregressive integrated moving average model showed a higher prediction accuracy than the deep learning models(long short-term memory and Transformer).Furthermore,the root-mean-square error distribution of the prediction results peaked at 0.26,thus outperforming the no-prediction method in 70%of the cases.

Surrounding rock pressure in the tunnel portal section through moraine under freeze-thaw action

Moraines,characterized by the accumulation of rock and soil debris transported by glacial activity,present unique challenges for tunnel construction,particularly in portal sections,due to prevailing geographical and climatic conditions that facilitate freeze-thaw action.Despite these challenges,there is a dearth of studies investigating the influence of freeze-thaw action and water content on the mechanical properties of moraines,and no research on calculating surrounding rock pressure in moraine tunnels subjected to freeze-thaw conditions.In this study,direct shear tests under freeze-thaw cycles were conducted to examine the effects of freeze-thaw cycles and water content on the mechanical properties of frozen moraine.A comprehensive parameter K,integrating the number of freeze-thaws and water content,was introduced to model cohesion c.Drawing on Terzaghi Theory,we propose an improved algorithm for calculating surrounding rock pressure at the portal section of moraine tunnels.Using a tunnel as a case study,surrounding rock pressure was calculated under various conditions to validate the Improved Algorithm's efficacy.The results show that:(1)Strength loss exhibits a linear trend with the number of freeze-thaw cycles at water content levels of 4%and 8%,while at 12%water content,previous freeze-thaw cycles induce more significant damage to the soil.(2)Moraine saturation peaks between 8%and 12%water content.Following repeated freeze-thaw cycles,moraine shear strength initially increases before decreasing with varying water content.(3)The internal friction angle of moraine experiences slight reductions with prolonged freeze-thaw cycles,but both freeze-thaw cycles and water content significantly influence cohesion.(4)Vertical surrounding rock pressure increases after the initial freeze-thaw cycle,particularly with higher water content,although freeze-thaw cycles have minimal effect on it.(5)Freeze-thaw cycles lead to a substantial increase in lateral surrounding rock pressure,necessitating reinforced support structures at the arch wall,arch waist,and arch foot in engineering projects to mitigate freeze-thaw effects.This study provides a foundation for designing and selecting tunnel support structures in similar geological conditions.

Numerical Simulation of Surrounding Rock Deformation and Grouting Reinforcement of Cross-Fault Tunnel under Different Excavation Methods

Tunnel construction is susceptible to accidents such as loosening, deformation, collapse, and water inrush, especiallyunder complex geological conditions like dense fault areas. These accidents can cause instability and damageto the tunnel. As a result, it is essential to conduct research on tunnel construction and grouting reinforcementtechnology in fault fracture zones to address these issues and ensure the safety of tunnel excavation projects. Thisstudy utilized the Xianglushan cross-fault tunnel to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the construction, support,and reinforcement of a tunnel crossing a fault fracture zone using the three-dimensional finite element numericalmethod. The study yielded the following research conclusions: The excavation conditions of the cross-fault tunnelarray were analyzed to determine the optimal construction method for excavation while controlling deformationand stress in the surrounding rock. The middle partition method (CD method) was found to be the most suitable.Additionally, the effects of advanced reinforcement grouting on the cross-fault fracture zone tunnel were studied,and the optimal combination of grouting reinforcement range (140°) and grouting thickness (1m) was determined.The stress and deformation data obtained fromon-site monitoring of the surrounding rock was slightly lower thanthe numerical simulation results. However, the change trend of both sets of data was found to be consistent. Theseresearch findings provide technical analysis and data support for the construction and design of cross-fault tunnels.

Study on creep deformation and energy development of underground surrounding rock under four‐dimensional support

There is an urgent need to develop optimal solutions for deformation control of deep high‐stress roadways,one of the critical problems in underground engineering.The previously proposed four‐dimensional support(hereinafter 4D support),as a new support technology,can set the roadway surrounding rock under three‐dimensional pressure in the new balanced structure,and prevent instability of surrounding rock in underground engineering.However,the influence of roadway depth and creep deformation on the surrounding rock supported by 4D support is still unknown.This study investigated the influence of roadway depth and creep deformation time on the instability of surrounding rock by analyzing the energy development.The elastic strain energy was analyzed using the program redeveloped in FLAC3D.The numerical simulation results indicate that the combined support mode of 4D roof supports and conventional side supports is highly applicable to the stability control of surrounding rock with a roadway depth exceeding 520 m.With the increase of roadway depth,4D support can effectively restrain the area and depth of plastic deformation in the surrounding rock.Further,4D support limits the accumulation range and rate of elastic strain energy as the creep deformation time increases.4D support can effectively reduce the plastic deformation of roadway surrounding rock and maintain the stability for a long deformation period of 6 months.As confirmed by in situ monitoring results,4D support is more effective for the long‐term stability control of surrounding rock than conventional support.

Surrounding Rock Control Technology of Strong Dynamic Pressure Roadway in Hudi Coal Industry

Aiming at the problems of large deformation and difficult maintenance of deep soft rock roadway under the influence of high ground stress and strong dynamic pressure, taking the surrounding rock control of 1105 lane in Hudi Coal Industry as an example, the deformation characteristics and surrounding rock control measures of deep soft rock roadway are analyzed and discussed by means of geological data analysis, roadway deformation monitoring, rock crack drilling and field test. The results show that the main causes of roadway deformation are high ground stress, synclinal tectonic stress, advance mining stress, roadway penetration and surrounding rock fissure development. Based on the deformation characteristics and mechanism of lane 1105, the supporting countermeasures of “roof synergic support, layered grouting, anchor cable beam support, closed hardening of roadway surface” are proposed, which can provide reference for the control of deep roadway surrounding rock under similar conditions.

Surrounding Rock Failure Mechanism and Control Technology of Gob-Side Entry with Triangle Coal Pillar at Island Longwall Panel in 15 m Extra-Thick Coal Seams

Taking the return air roadway of Tashan 8204 isolated island working face as the background, the evolution law of the stress field in the surrounding rock of the widened coal pillar area roadway during the mining period of the isolated island working face is obtained through numerical simulation. The hazardous area of strong mine pressure under different coal pillar widths is determined. Through simulation, it is known that when the width of the coal pillar is less than 20 m, there is large bearing capacity on the coal side of the roadway entity. The force on the side of the coal pillar is relatively small. When the width of the coal pillar ranges from 25 m to 45 m, the vertical stress on the roadway and surrounding areas is relatively high. Pressure relief measures need to be taken during mining to reduce surrounding rock stress. When the width of the coal pillar is greater than 45 m, the peak stress of the coal pillar is located in the deep part of the surrounding rock, but it still has a certain impact on the roadway. It is necessary to take pressure relief measures to transfer the stress to a deeper depth to ensure the stability of the triangular coal pillar during the safe mining period of the working face. This provides guidance for ensuring the stability of the triangular coal pillar during the safe mining period of the working face.

Numerical analysis of deformation and failure characteristics of deep roadway surrounding rock under static-dynamic coupling stress

In actual production,deep coal mine roadways are often under typical static-dynamic coupling stress(SDCS)conditions with high ground stress and strong dynamic disturbances.With the increasing number of disasters and accidents induced by SDCS conditions,the safe and efficient production of coal mines is seriously threatened.Therefore,it is of great practical significance to study the deformation and failure characteristics of the roadway surrounding rock under SDCS.In this paper,the effects of different in-situ stress fields and dynamic load conditions on the surrounding rock are studied by numerical simulations,and the deformation and failure characteristics are obtained.According to the simulation results,the horizontal stress,vertical stress and dynamic disturbance have a positive correlation with the plastic failure of the surrounding rock.Among these factors,the influence of the dynamic disturbance is the most substantial.Under the same stress conditions,the extents of deformation and plastic failure of the roof and ribs are always greater than those of the floor.The effect of horizontal stresses on the roadway deformation is more notable than that of vertical stresses.The results indicate that for the roadway under high-stress conditions,the in-situ stress test must be strengthened first.After determining the magnitude of the in-situ stress,the location of the roadway should be reasonably arranged in the design to optimize the mining sequence.For roadways that are strongly disturbed by dynamic loads,rock supports(rebar/cable bolts,steel set etc.)that are capable of maintaining their effectiveness without failure after certain dynamic loads are required.The results of this study contribute to understanding the characteristics of the roadway deformation and failure under SDCS,and can be used to provide a basis for the support design and optimization under similar geological and geotechnical circumstances.

Surrounding rock control theory and longwall mining technology innovation

To accommodate surrounding rock structure stability control problem in underground mining, we study the coupling effect principle between hydraulic support and surrounding rock, and develop a series of longwall mining technology and equipment, which solves four common technical problems that significantly undermine coal mining safety, efficiency, and high recovery and extraction rates. Based on the coupling characteristic between mining-induced stress field and supporting stress field of hydraulic support, we identify six controllable factors in the application of hydraulic support to surrounding rock, and further reveal the relationship between hydraulic support and surrounding rock in terms of the strength, the stiffness, and the stability coupling. Our findings provide a plausible solution to the longwall mining technical problem with 6-8 m mining height. By analyzing the dynamic disequilibrium characteristics between hydraulic support and surrounding rock, we propose the intelligent top coal caving control method and the high-coal-recovery-rate tech- nology for fully mechanized caving faces. With the invention of this technology, China is likely to lead the world in terms of the fully mechanized top coal caving mining technology. We are also the first to employ the intelligent coupling technology between hydraulic support and surrounding rock, and automated mining mode, and supporting system coop- erative control with automatic organization. We develop the comprehensive multi-index intelligence adjusting height decision-making mechanism and three-dimensional navigation automatic adjusting straightness technology based on shearer cutting height memory association, cutting power parameters, vibration, and video information, leading to the first set of intelligent longwall mining technology and equipment for thin seam. Our innovation makes a solid contribution to the revolution of intelligence mining technology. With the innovative use of three-dimensional coupling control principle for surrounding rock, we successfully resolve the technological difficulties of longwall mining equipment and surrounding rock control for steep dipping seam, making a breakthrough of longwall mining technology with steep dipping seam.

Deformation characteristics of surrounding rock of broken and soft rock roadway

A similar material model and a numerical simulation were constructed and are described herein. The deformation and failure of surrounding rock of broken and soft roadway are studied by using these models. The deformation of the roof and floor, the relative deformation of the two sides and the deformation of the deep surrounding rock are predicted using the model. Measurements in a working mine are compared to the results of the models. The results show that the surrounding rock shows clear theological features under high stress conditions. Deformation is unequally distributed across the whole section. The surrounding rock exhibited three deformation stages： displacement caused by stress concentration, theological displacement after the digging effects had stabilized and displacement caused by supporting pressure of the roadway. Floor heave was serious, accounting for 65% of the total deformation of the roof and floor. Floor heave is the main reason for failure of the surrounding rock. The reasons for deformation of the surrounding rock are discussed based on the similar material and numerical simulations.

Stability classification model of mine-lane surrounding rock based on distance discriminant analysis method

Based on the principle of Mahalanobis distance discriminant analysis (DDA) theory, a stability classification model for mine-lane surrounding rock was established, including six indexes of discriminant factors that reflect the engineering quality of surrounding rock: lane depth below surface, span of lane, ratio of directly top layer thickness to coal thickness, uniaxial comprehensive strength of surrounding rock, development degree coefficient of surrounding rock joint and range of broken surrounding rock zone. A DDA model was obtained through training 15 practical measuring samples. The re-substitution method was introduced to verify the stability of DDA model and the ratio of mis-discrimination is zero. The DDA model was used to discriminate 3 new samples and the results are identical with actual rock kind. Compared with the artificial neural network method and support vector mechanic method, the results show that this model has high prediction accuracy and can be used in practical engineering.

Upper bound solution of surrounding rock pressure of shallow tunnel under nonlinear failure criterion

The nonlinear Baker failure criterion is introduced into the upper-bound limit analysis to examine the face stability of a shallow tunnel. The tunnel face under the ultimate limit state is analyzed from the perspective of energy balance. The work rates of external forces and internal energy dissipation are calculated. An analytical solution of necessary face pressures is derived. The optimal upper-bound solution of the face pressures is obtained by optimization. The results show that the three dimensionless parameters A, T, n of nonlinear Baker failure criterion have different effects on the necessary face pressures and the pattern failure mechanisms ahead of tunnel face. A is the most important one;n takes the second place, and T is the least one. The computed necessary face pressures are nonlinearly increasing when A is reduced. Combined with the actual monitoring data of Taxia tunnel, the calculation results in this paper is verified. It is suggested that the tunnel face supports should be strengthened timely in soft rocks to prevent the occurrence of face collapse.

Domino instability effect of surrounding rock-coal pillars in a room-and-pillar gob

To discuss the domino instability effect and large area roof falling and roof accidents of surrounding rockcoal pillars in a room-and-pillar gob,the equilibrium equation for a roof-coal pillar-floor system with the influence of mining floor was developed based on the engineering conditions of the surrounding rock in a room-and-pillar gob in the 3^(-2)coal seam of Tanggonggou mine.The conditions of system instability and the relationship between system stability and system stiffness were analyzed from an energetic point of view.Numerical simulation using the discrete element software UDEC was also carried out to simulate conditions causing the domino effect on surrounding rock-coal pillars in a 3^(-2)room-and-pillar gob.The results show that:if we want the system to destabilize,the collective energy in roof-and-floor must be larger than that in the coal pillar.When the stiffness of the coal pillars and the roof-and-floor are both greater than zero,the system is stable.When the stiffness of the coal pillars is negative but the summed stiffness of the coal pillars and roof-and-floor is larger than or equal to zero,the system is statically destroyed.When the sum of the coal pillars and the roof-floor stiffness is negative,the system suffers from severe damages.For equal advance distances of the coal mining face,the wider coal pillars can reduce the probability of domino type instability.Conversely,the smaller width pillars can increase the instability probability.Domino type instability of surrounding rock-coal pillars is predicted to be unlikely when the width of coal pillars is not less than 8 m.

Influence of underground water seepage flow on surrounding rock deformation of multi-arch tunnel

Based on a typical multi-arch tunnel in a freeway, the fast Lagrangian analysis of continua in 3 dimensions(FLAC3D) was used to calculate the surrounding rock deformation of the tunnel under which the effect of underground water seepage flow was taken into account or not. The distribution of displacement field around the multi-arch tunnel, which is influenced by the seepage field, was gained. The result indicates that the settlement values of the vault derived from coupling analysis are bigger when considering the seepage flow effect than that not considering. Through the contrast of arch subsidence quantities calculated by two kinds of computation situations, and the comparison between the calculated and measured value of tunnel vault settlement, it is found that the calculated value(5.7-6.0 mm) derived from considering the seepage effect is more close to the measured value(5.8-6.8 mm). Therefore, it is quite necessary to consider the seepage flow effect of the underground water in aquiferous stratum for multi-arch tunnel design.

Analysis and application in controlling surrounding rock of support reinforced roadway in gob-side entry with fully mechanized mining

In order to optimize gob-side entry in fully-mechanized working face in moderate-thick-coal seams, we adopt a new attempt to pack roadside by pumping ordinary concrete, which is very important for the development of gob-side entry technology. The concrete has a long initial setting time and a low initial strength. So it is difficult to control the surrounding rock. In this paper, we analyze the effect of using roadside cable to reinforce supporting in gob-side entry surrounding rock controlling based on elas-tic-plastic and material mechanics knowledge. And then we propose a scheme that cable is used to reinforce roadside supporting and a single hydraulic prop is used as the temporary supporting in gob side. Using the numerical simulation software FLAC2D, we numerically simulated supporting scheme. Results of both the 2D modeling and the industrial test on No.3117 face in Jingang Mine prove that the scheme is feasible. The results show that the technology of protecting the roadway in gob-entry retained efficiently make up the deficiency of roadside packing with ordinary concrete, effectively control the roof strata and acquire a good result of retaining roadway.

Stress evolution of deep surrounding rock under characteristics of bi-modulus and strength drop

Aiming at the circular chamber under uniform stress field in deep energy storage and mining,analytical solutions of stress and plastic zone of the surrounding rock under different far-field stress and internal pressure were derived based on bi-modulus theory and the elastic-brittle-ideal plastic constitutive model.Evolution trend of the elasticplastic stress and plastic region with different elastic constant ratios and residual strength coefficients were analyzed in details.Results revealed that when the internal pressure was small,the three-direction principal stress was compressive stress and the stress field distribution of the surrounding rock was not affected by the moduli difference.The obtained solution was consistent with the solution from the elastic-brittle plastic drop model under the equal modulus theory.On the other hand,when the internal pressure was large,the tangential stress was changed.The surrounding rock can be divided into three zones,i.e.,tensile plastic zone(TPZ),tensile elastic zone(TEZ)and compressive elastic zone(CEZ).The tensile and compressive dual modulus had significant influence on the demarcation point between TEZ and CEZ.In addition,the strength drop and the dual modulus characteristic had a coupling effect on the stress distribution in the surrounding rock.The related achievements further enrich the theory of deep rock mechanics.

Deformation mechanism of high-stress and broken-expansion surrounding rock and supporting optimization based on the gray correlation theory

Aiming at the large deformation and support problems of high-stress and broken-expansion surrounding rock, and taking 1 000 m level roadway of Mine II in Jinchuan as the research object, an investigation on the deformation and damage of roadway surrounding rock and an analysis of its mechanism were carried out. The gray correlation theory was used in support scheme optimization design. First, causes and mechanism of deformation of the 1 000 m horizontal transport channel were analyzed through field investigation, laboratory test and data processing methods. We arguued that poor engineering geological conditions and deep pressure increases were the main factors, and the deformation mechanism was mainly the ground deformation pressure. Second, the gray correlation theory was used to construct supporting optimization decision method in the deep roadway. This method more comprehensively considers various factors, including construction, costs, and supporting material functions. The combined support with pre-stressed anchor cables, shotcrete layer, bolt and metal net was put forward according to the actual roadway engineering characteristics. Finally, 4 support schemes were put forward for new roadways. The gray relational theory was applied to optimizing the supporting method, undertaking technical and economic comparison to obtain the correlation degree, and accordingly the schemes were evaluated. It was concluded as follows： the best was the flexible retaining scheme using the steel strand anchor; the second best was the one using plate anchors on the top and rigid common screw steel bolt on the two sides; the ttiird was; the rigid common screw steel bolt in full section of roadway; and the worst is the planished steel rigid support. The optimized scheme was applied to the 1000 m level of new excavation roadway. The results show that the roadway surrounding rock can reach a stable state after 5 to 6 months monitoring, with a convergence rate less than 1 mm/d.

Non-complete relief method for measuring surface stresses in surrounding rocks

The measurement of surface stresses in surrounding rocks with the use of a relief method of annular hole-drilling was studied by numerical analysis. The stress relief process by hole-drilling was then simulated with the use of finite element method. The influences of the borehole diameter(d), the initial stresses and the ratio of the initial principle stresses on the variations of the remained stress and the released stress in function of the relief depth(h) were discussed. The relation between the non-dimensional ratio of the released principle strains and that of the initial principle stresses, and the effect of the elastic modulus and the Poisson ratio of the rock mass on the stress relief curves were studied. The results show that the stress relief behavior formulated with the non-dimensional ratio of the released stress and the ratio of h/d is only sensitive to the ratio of the initial principle stresses and the Poisson ratio. The stresses are completely released when h equals 1.6d, and the tensile stresses take place on the bore core surface in the relief measurement process. Finally, a non-complete relief method of annular hole-drilling for measuring surface stress in surrounding rocks is proposed and the procedure is presented.